Speedshifter support

Speedshifter guidance and support

This page provides dedicated guidance and technical support for Speedshifter users. Assistance with the main functions of Speedshifter is provided and common queries and technical problems are addressed, including a simple guide to operating the application and answers to frequently asked questions.

If you cannot find the help you need here, please get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page, making sure to include as many details as possible.

If you have not yet downloaded Speedshifter and would like to find out more about the app, return to the main page.

General guidance

Refer to the following sections for instructions on operating the Speedshifter desktop and mobile applications.

Launching the app

To launch Speedshifter simply double click on the Speedshifter icon on your desktop. Speedshifter will show a short progress bar as it opens.

Once loaded, the main circular interface will be visible. This can be dragged around the desktop and dropped wherever necessary.

Basic functions

Loading a track

To load a track click the ‘Load track’ button. Locate the track you want to play. This can be either a track from an audio CD or an MP3. The info bar will appear along the bottom of your screen and display the load status of the track.

Please ensure that any other application (e.g. Windows Media Player or iTunes) is closed and that the CD track or MP3 you want to play is loaded into Speedshifter using the method described above.

The transport controls

Once loaded, pressing the large play button will begin playback of the track at its original speed and pitch. During playback this button transforms into a pause and a stop button. Pressing pause halts playback. Pressing play resumes playback from the current location. Pressing stop resets the play line to the start position marker (left hand loop point).

Tuning note

Select this to hear an A (440hz).

Speedshifting

To alter the playback tempo of the recording, simply drag the dial to the desired tempo or click on a new tempo, which is represented as a percentage change.

Additional features (menu functions)

Clicking on the menu switch allows access to the tools, news and profile pages.

Master volume

Use this slider to adjust playback volume as an alternative to your computer's usual volume controls.

Tuning note instrument selection

Select the instrument you would like your tuning note played on.

Pitch shifting

While playing a track drag the pitch slider left or right to alter the pitch of the audio.

Tap tempo

While playing a track, tap along in time using any key on a QWERTY keyboard to establish a guide starting tempo. The numbers on the Speedshifter dial will then change to represent the BPM of the track. The longer you tap along, the more accurate the resulting average BPM will become.

News

Use this feature to see the latest news articles from ABRSM. Links to the ABRSM audio download shop, publications shop and Speedshifter help and feedback can be found at the bottom of this page.

Profile

You can keep your profile up to date using this feature.

Exiting the application

To close Speedshifter click on the 'X' button located next to the 'Load track' button on the main interface, then click 'Yes' to exit.

Launching the app

Basic functions

Loading a track

To load a track tap the area that states ‘Tap to select track’. Locate and choose the track you want to play from your device’s media library.

The transport controls

Once loaded, pressing the play button will begin playback of the track at its original speed and pitch. During playback this button transforms into a pause button. Pressing pause halts playback. Pressing play resumes playback from the current location. Pressing stop resets the play line to the start position marker (left hand loop point).

Speedshifting

If you wish to set a tempo to work with, first select and play the track then open Settings using the cog icon. Use the Tap BPM button to tap along in time to the piece for about two bars. This will set the track's original tempo and open the metronome wheel, allowing for more precise Speedshifting.

Tuning note

Shake your device to hear an A (440hz). Tap the screen to stop the tone.

Additional features (menu functions)

Tapping the settings cog gives access to further elements of the app.

Pitch shifting

Whilst playing a track drag the pitch slider left or right to alter the pitch of the audio.

Tuning note

The tuning note can be sounded here without shaking your device.

Tap BPM

Whilst a track is being played, tap this button in time to the music to determine a guide original tempo. Tapping along for two bars will usually be enough to identify a guide tempo value.

When I launch Speedshifter desktop there is an error message saying that it is unable to connect to the web. What do I do?

Speedshifter needs to connect to the internet to register the installation. This may be prevented for one of the following reasons:

Your computer might not have not been updated to run the latest version of Adobe AIR (the background software engine that Speedshifter runs from). If it is possible that you do not have the most recent version of AIR installed, you can visit get.adobe.com/air.

Speedshifter has not been launched with an active internet connection since the installer file was downloaded. If your computer does not use a permanent internet connection, try launching Speedshifter again whilst connected to the internet.

Speedshifter is being prevented from accessing the internet by your anit-virus or firewall software (such as Norton Antivirus or Windows Defender). If this may be the case, you would need to add Speedshifter to the list of exceptions in your firewall settings, so that it is able to access the internet.

How do I get audio files onto my iOS/Android device to use them with Speedshifter mobile?

The way that audio files are managed on computers is determined by the operating system and media content software installed. Any steps taken when saving or moving downloaded files or tracks imported from CDs on a laptop/desktop computer my also affect the location of specific files.

Apple also gives guidance for syncing your iTunes library with your iOS device – doing so will store copies of these audio files in your device’s Music library, which Speedshifter can then access. Once the relevant files have been downloaded successfully to your device, they will be immediately available to Speedshifter when you "Tap here to select a track".

Guidance for Android devices

There is a range of media playing software that can be used to manage your library of music on your desktop or laptop computer. Follow instructions or help provided with the software to make sure that audio downloads you already have are part of your library.

I am unable to load a song I have downloaded through Apple Music/Spotify. Why is this?

It is not possible to use Speedshifter with streaming services such as Apple Music or Spotify, even if you have downloaded the song to your device. It is only possible to use Speedshifter with mp3 or wav audio files that are stored directly on your device.

I bought Speedshifter for iOS as an in-app upgrade through the Lite version, but this has disappeared. How do I get it back?

In-app purchases on iOS devices can become disabled after a specific sequence of actions (e.g. installing an update for the app, force quitting the app or restarting your phone after logging-in/out of your Speedshifter account). However, you can recover your in-app purchase without incurring any cost quite straightforwardly:

Launch Speedshifter

Select "Upgrade" or "MENU"

Click "Restore"

Enter your Apple ID Password when prompted (this is just to restore your existing purchase – you will not be charged again)

When Speedshifter knows the tempo of the track in beats per minute it lights an indicator on the BPM ring. For ABRSM recordings this light shows the tempo of the first few bars of the piece, including the count-in if present. Within any accompaniment recording there will be changes in tempo, ritenutos, accelerandos, etc. These are not reflected on the tempo ring - the light is only an indicator of the start of the piece.

Speedshifter says my track is Allegretto but in the music the piece is marked Allegro - which is correct?

The terminology ring shows the Italian terms found on most metronomes. These terms are an expression of the mood or feel of the music. Tempo is often inferred by these terms, but not always accurately prescribed. For example, the term Allegro is often used to describe the music as 'fast', but it is also used to mean 'lively' or 'bright' - expressions which are not so descriptive of tempo.

It is important to note that sometimes our recordings are recorded at a slightly different tempo to the marking in the music to make them more appropriate to the technical requirements of the grade in question.

Sometimes when I slow a track down a lot the music 'warbles' - why is this?

Speedshifter will give good quality results within approximately 40% of the speed of the original recording. You can of course use Speedshifter to slow down or speed up audio to the full extent of the dial, but audio quality will deteriorate as you approach these extreme ranges.

Can I use Speedshifter in an ABRSM exam?

Speedshifter is a practice tool and is not designed to be used as a performance aid or studio effect. It may not be used in any ABRSM exam!

Is Speedshifter available as a Windows 8 app?

Speedshifter is not available as a dedicated Windows 8 app. However, Speedshifter 3 (the free desktop version of the application) should install and run on any desktop or laptop with Windows 8 installed.

There are currently no plans to develop Speedshifter as a Windows 8 app.

At ABRSM we respect your right to privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information that we ask you to supply to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we may collect information from you and how we may subsequently use it.

We may use your personal information to inform you about the latest changes to this policy (and any changes to this policy will be posted here).

Please note that this Privacy Policy applies only to this application and not to websites maintained by other companies or organizations to which we link.

References to “the application” in this Privacy Policy are to the Speedshifter application.

What information do we ask for?

We only collect personal information which you have provided to us either by completing a registration form, by emailing us, or by other verbal or written communication.

The registration form requires that you let us have your name, date of birth and email address.

When you run Speedshifter, ABRSM gathers anonymous usage statistics such as session length, country, user profile and device type. This is done using Flurry, an analytics toolset. The data ABRSM receives from Flurry does not allow us to identify you personally.

How do we use the information?

By using the application you agree that we may hold and use your information for the purpose of providing you with access to the application, updates to the application, our services and ancillary services and for our internal purposes, which include, without limitation:

contacting you to inform you about changes to the application and, if you have agreed to this, about our products or services which you may find of interest;

providing your personal information to reputable and trustworthy third parties (if you have agreed to this) to enable them to send you information about their products or services which you may find of interest;

for market research purposes;

to prevent you from posting illegal or offensive comments or other materials via the application and its support pages;

monitoring application usage;

disclosing information to legal or regulatory bodies in order to ensure that legal and/or regulatory requirements are complied with;

We reserve the right to contract your internet service provider, school, organisation or any other third party in the event that, in our reasonable opinion, you are in breach of the Terms and Conditions of the application.

We may also provide third parties with overall statistics about users of our application. The latter will not include information that could personally identify you.

If you use our 'Like this application - email a friend' facility, we ask for the friend’s name and email address. We then send an automatic, one-time email to your friend. Details of this transaction are stored only to send that one-time email or to track complaints of mischievous use. Your friend may contact us by means of the feedback area on the website to ask that their name and email address be deleted.

ABRSM uses data gathered through Flurry to benchmark the usage of the application. This means that we regularly look at these statistics to evaluate our products and inform development. Note that we do not track your unique device identifier (UDID) or other personal information through Flurry – this data is anonymous.

Protecting the information you give to us

As required by the UK Data Protection Acts of 1984 and 1998, we follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of information which you have given to us, to prevent unauthorised access to it. In addition, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that third parties to whom we transfer any data will provide sufficient protection of that personal information.

Review, correction or deletion of information from our records

If for any reason you are concerned that the personal information maintained by us is not correct, or it changes or if you no longer desire our service we will endeavor to provide a way to correct, update or remove the data you have provided us with. This can be done by using the profile area of the application.

Your consent

By using the application, you signify your assent to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use this application.

We reserve the right to make changes to our Privacy Policy. Any change to the policy will be published on this page so that you are always aware of it. Your continued use of the application will signify your acceptance of these changes.

To comply with British and European Union laws, we have to make clear that your details may be supplied to third parties, possibly outside the European Economic Area. Information may also be sent outside the European Economic Area for processing, either by ourselves or by other companies.

By using this application you consent to both of the above types of transfer.

Contact us

If you require technical support with Speedshifter please refer to the FAQs above first to check whether your query is answered under this section. If you still require assistance with a problem, or if you have any suggestions for improvements or developments, please contact our Speedshifter support team by completing the following form.

Known issues

04/02/2015: Some Android users who have updated to the latest version of Speedshifter have experienced an error when trying to select a track. This can be resolved by going to Settings > Apps > Speedshifter and tapping “Clear Data”. For further support, please use the contact form below.